Zamiaceae Horan.
  • Prim. Lin. Syst. Nat. 45 (1834) 
  • Sago-palm Family


Cite taxon page as 'WFO (2025): Zamiaceae Horan. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-7000000650. Accessed on: 04 Jun 2025'

Local Descriptions

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General Information

Plants superficially palmlike or fernlike, perennial, evergreen, dioecious. Stems subterranean with exposed apex or aboveground, fleshy, stout, cylindric, simple or irregularly branched. Roots with small secondary roots; coral-like roots developing at base of stem at or below soil surface. Leaves pinnately compound, spirally clustered at stem apex, leathery, petiole and rachis unarmed [with stout spines]; leaflets entire or dentate [spinose], venation dichotomous [netted]; resin canals absent. Cones axillary, appearing terminal, short-peduncled [sessile], disintegrating at maturity; sporophylls densely crowded, spirally arranged, often covered with indument. Pollen cones soon shed, generally smaller and more numerous than seed cones; sporophylls bearing many crowded, small microsporangia (pollen sacs) adaxially; pollen spheric, not winged. Seed cones persistent for a year or more, 1(--2) per plant, nearly globose to ovoid, tapering sharply or blunt at apex; sporophylls peltate, thickened and laterally expanded distally, bearing 2(--3) ovules. Seeds angular, inner coat hardened, outer coat fleshy, often brightly colored; cotyledons 2.

  • Provided by: [A].Flora of North America @ efloras.org
    • Source: [
    • 1
    • ]. 

    Literature

    SELECTED REFERENCES

    Candolle, A. L. P. de. 1868. Cycadaceae. In: A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. de Candolle, eds. 1823--1873. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.... Paris etc. Vol. 16, part 2, pp. 522--547.
    Johnson, L. A. S. 1959. The families of cycads and the Zamiaceae of Australia. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 84: 64--117.
    Schuster, J. 1932. Cycadaceae. In: H. G. A. Engler, ed. 1900--1953. Das Pflanzenreich.... Berlin. Vol. 99[IV,1], pp. l--168.

  • Provided by: [A].Flora of North America @ efloras.org
    • Source: [
    • 1
    • ]. 
    Flora of North America @ efloras.orgLiterature

    SELECTED REFERENCES

    Candolle, A. L. P. de. 1868. Cycadaceae. In: A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. de Candolle, eds. 1823--1873. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.... Paris etc. Vol. 16, part 2, pp. 522--547.
    Johnson, L. A. S. 1959. The families of cycads and the Zamiaceae of Australia. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 84: 64--117.
    Schuster, J. 1932. Cycadaceae. In: H. G. A. Engler, ed. 1900--1953. Das Pflanzenreich.... Berlin. Vol. 99[IV,1], pp. l--168.

    General Information

    Plants superficially palmlike or fernlike, perennial, evergreen, dioecious. Stems subterranean with exposed apex or aboveground, fleshy, stout, cylindric, simple or irregularly branched. Roots with small secondary roots; coral-like roots developing at base of stem at or below soil surface. Leaves pinnately compound, spirally clustered at stem apex, leathery, petiole and rachis unarmed [with stout spines]; leaflets entire or dentate [spinose], venation dichotomous [netted]; resin canals absent. Cones axillary, appearing terminal, short-peduncled [sessile], disintegrating at maturity; sporophylls densely crowded, spirally arranged, often covered with indument. Pollen cones soon shed, generally smaller and more numerous than seed cones; sporophylls bearing many crowded, small microsporangia (pollen sacs) adaxially; pollen spheric, not winged. Seed cones persistent for a year or more, 1(--2) per plant, nearly globose to ovoid, tapering sharply or blunt at apex; sporophylls peltate, thickened and laterally expanded distally, bearing 2(--3) ovules. Seeds angular, inner coat hardened, outer coat fleshy, often brightly colored; cotyledons 2.

    Other Local Names

    NameLanguageCountry
    Sago-palm Family

     Information From

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    World Flora Online Data. 2024.
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    Zamiaceae
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    World Flora Online Data. 2022.
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